Near Misses

Near Misses

By Frances Gabrielle Bartolome

My grandfather taught me how to drive when I was 15. He was a good teacher, but there were times when he seemed too conservative for me. He always reminded me how it was imperative to strictly obey traffic rules. And I agreed with him, but if I’m the only one at a four-way stop, why should I waste my time stopping at the stop sign? It was unnecessary. My indifference to that principle in those situations was not the point. It was my impatience the underlying bane to my skills and safety as a driver. And because of that, in my 3 years of driving, I’ve had a lot of “near misses.”

One “near miss” that disturbs me even to this day was when I was driving with my little brother in the back seat. I had been waiting longer than usual at a stop sign to turn left onto a backroad. At some point while waiting, I had convinced myself that I could turn left in time without getting hit. I was on my way to doing so, but entirely miscalculated the speed and distance of an incoming pickup truck. We nearly got hit, but the truck slowed in time to allow me the space in front of it. Wrought with panic, I stepped on the gas and dodged a mailbox. My brother started crying. I found a subdivision to turn onto and parked, took deep breaths. I could not describe how awful I felt as my mind reeled for a hundred possibilities of what could have happened instead. It would be unfortunate if I got hurt, but I would be more devastated if it was my brother.

Since then, I’ve gotten more conscious of preparing myself before driving. My feelings of impatience stemmed from thoughts of not having enough time. Remembering that day of my significant near miss, my brother and I were running late for our taekwondo class. Every time I have plans to go out, I allow myself to leave 10-15 minutes earlier than I should so I don’t have the need to rush. Likewise, I remind myself of the conversation I had with my grandfather. Good drivers are safe drivers. He also taught me that a safe driver is someone who was courteous. Driving itself already poses a huge risk to one’s life on a daily basis. There is no room for arrogant driving when lives are risked. Accidents don’t only happen to the person who caused it, they happen to everyone else who got involved. Granted, it is already common sense to drive safe. But to many a car is more than just a vehicle. It could be the stepping stone or ticket to a more unchained life. Some of them forget that they are not the only ones on the road. But a truly more unchained life is one that exists. If you want to get to a place where you feel free, you need to be able to take yourself there.